Maine vote overrides LePage's budget veto

AUGUSTA, Maine — Maine lawmakers voted Wednesday to override Gov. Paul LePage's veto of the state budget, temporarily raising Maine's sales and meals and lodging taxes, and ending the possibility of a looming state shutdown.

Alanna Durkin

AUGUSTA, Maine — Maine lawmakers voted Wednesday to override Gov. Paul LePage's veto of the state budget, temporarily raising Maine's sales and meals and lodging taxes, and ending the possibility of a looming state shutdown.

The House voted 114-34, followed by a 26-9 vote in the Senate, easily reaching the two-thirds majority of present and voting members needed to override the Republican governor's veto. All southern York County legislators voted for the override, including the county's sole Republican, state Rep. Windol Weaver of York.

"I hated to vote for the tax increase, but I could not see shutting down state government," which would have happened July 1 if the override had not occurred, Weaver said. "This was the only way to go at this time."

After the vote, LePage called it a "real sad day for the state of Maine."

"I think we certainly solidified our place as 50th-worst place in the country to do business in the foreseeable future," he said.

During more than four hours of debate in the House and Senate, lawmakers calling for the veto override emphasized the chaos that would result from a shutdown of government services. On the House floor, Democratic Leader Seth Berry of Bowdoinham read from newspaper articles during the last shutdown in 1991, calling it "a nuclear meltdown in Augusta."

During the almost 20-day shutdown in 1991, state workers got no paychecks, residents were prevented from registering their vehicles or getting drivers or fishing licenses, courts were shuttered, and construction projects were halted. Thousands of protesters filled the front lawn and halls of the state Capitol.

"In the most simplest terms, I want to tell you that it was hell," said Sen. John Cleveland, D-Auburn, who was serving in the Senate at the time.

LePage vetoed the $6.3 billion, two-year budget Monday, saying the temporary sales and meals and lodging tax increases would be particularly harmful for Maine's elderly population who live on a fixed income. He also criticized the budget for removing some education funding he had wanted to set aside for projects such as adult education programs as well as career and technical education centers.

But Democrats and Republicans who supported the override Wednesday said that even though the budget isn't perfect, it's an improvement from the governor's proposed budget and will prevent a government shutdown.

"Clearly, many of our Republican colleagues saw that the budget was the best path forward among the difficult options," said state Rep. Paul McGowan, D-York. "I felt, overall, people voted for the best interest of Maine today, even though it was hard to swallow."

State Rep. Deane Rykerson, D-Kittery, said the Legislature voted for "common sense."

"Thank you to all those legislators who voted to move our state forward rather than make political points by shutting down our state government," he said. While few like the budget, "everyone is pleased our government will keep functioning."

"There isn't a member of this chamber who couldn't find fault with some aspect of this budget," said Democratic Rep. Margaret Rotundo of Lewiston, House chairwoman of the Appropriations Committee. But, she added, "in divided government, we cannot demand all or nothing."

LePage had wanted to suspend municipal revenue sharing, which lawmakers and Maine's cities and towns said would cause a massive tax shift onto property taxpayers. Lawmakers restored about $125 million toward revenue sharing and put in place the temporary tax increases.

Lawmakers who spoke in favor of sustaining the veto said there was a third option besides this budget or a government shutdown: the 60-day temporary budget Gov. LePage had proposed to buy time to negotiate a better budget deal.

"The concern over a state shutdown is very valid, because it creates fear and uncertainty in the hearts of people," said Republican Sen. Andre Cushing of Hampden. "But that's not the only reason we should be voting on the budget." He added lawmakers should work to avoid imposing too large of a burden on any part of Maine's population.

Republicans said raising Maine's 5 percent sales tax by a half-cent and meals and lodging tax from 7 to 8 percent — even temporarily — will hit Maine families at the time when the economy is just starting to turn around.

"Let's make the family budget a priority over the state budget," said Senate Republican Leader Michael Thibodeau of Winterport, who voted to sustain the veto. "Right now, I think we've got that the other way around."

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